Political and religious commentary from a liberal, secular, humanistic perspective.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Bachmann and Palin, a Sad Little Boy and The Unscientific Wingnut Lamar Smith

Bachmann gets "Security Detail"

We haven't heard much from Michelle Bachmann in recent months. That's a good thing. Except for the fact that when she keeps her mouth shut, we have to go elsewhere for our comedy fix.

But now, wow! Michelle believes she is a threat to the Islamic State (ISIS) because her blurred image and her clear voice is reported to have been used in a video produced by ISIS. In the video she mentions the rise of radical Islam.

That's not surprising, though, as Bachmann has long been outspoken in her criticism of radical Muslims even to the point of urging the US to take military action against them. In a speech at the "Value Voters" gathering earlier this fall, she said the Islam State was evil and that we must take it seriously. "You declare war on it, you don't dance around it. Just like the Islamic State has declared war on the United States of America."

Both Bachmann and her male alter ego in the Senate, Teddy Cruz, have introduced legislation which would strip American citizenship from anyone who joins ISIS.

Evidently, this anti-Islamic State action has led her to believe that she is in danger from ISIS although it is hard to comprehend why any group, even ISIS, would spend two seconds fussing about this Republican nutcase. Nevertheless she will get getting a security detail - police persons - who will follow her 24/7 either in Washington, D.C. or in her home state of Minnesota.

This security detail (and the waste of money) will end when Bachmann "retires" from Congress in January. But what a great gig for the cops; so long as they're allowed to wear ear plugs when she gives a speech.

Sarah Palin, who was governor of Alaska for about half a term and now is reported to live in Arizona, set up a SuperPac awhile back ostensibly to raise money for GOP candidates.

If you recall, though, Sarah went through money like a sieve when she was McCain's VP candidate. (I get chills just mentioning the fact that Sarah could have been one little heart attack away from the Oval Office!)

Nothing much has changed since 2008, it seems, as to how Sarah appropriates money for herself. At one point her SuperPac gave a mere 5% to those GOP wannabes she thought should be elected to one office or another. Lately, though, her stinginess has grown. Now, it appears she's giving only 3% of what she takes in for her SuperPac to GOP candidates.

But it gets worse. If you were a Republican running for office, you might be on the receiving end of Palin's "generosity" if you were also batshit crazy. And that could be embarrassing. Consider this: She "endorsed" John Raese for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. Oops. Mr. Raese is from West Virginia.

A Sad Little Boy

He doesn't look sad when you see him kneeling next to his kill - a rare white albino, 12-point buck!

In fact, he looks happy. The buck looks sad. And very dead.

The boy from Michigan shot the deer with a bow and arrow. Why would he do this? He wanted to be a big hunter like his dad? Did killing a basically defenseless rare animal just for the hell of it make him feel like a man?

Don't tell me he wanted the meat! That's what we have grocery stores for!

So why?

What a crazy race we humans are! What a sad little boy.

Lamar Smith (R-TX) - U.S. House Science Committee Science Hater

You wouldn't think that being a Republican science hater from Texas is a big deal. Most every Republican from Texas hates science because science proves him or her wrong on almost every issue. So the way you deal with that if you are a member of the U.S. Congress is to go after people in the scientific community whose work shows you to be a numbskull.

Smith has a lot of power to exert when attacking the scientists and their work. This kind of thing must happen in other countries, also, but it's quite incredible that this know-nothing from Texas has been a member of the House science committee for 26 years and now serves as its chairman.

You wouldn't think we'd want an anti-science dimwit to chair the science committee, but there it is

"His votes reflect a pattern of opposition to climate change and alternative energy efforts, sympathy to large industry in matters of copyright and patent law, deference to law enforcement on privacy issues, and moral policing of the Internet."

Smith, a member of the Tea Party Caucus, and an anti-abortionist, has "voted to bar the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, voted no several times on tax credits for renewable energy and incentives for energy production and conservation, voted against raising fuel efficiency standards, and rejected implementation of the Kyoto Protocol."